Ndi. In Sharp Contrast To South Africa, Burundi Officially

NDI In sharp contrast to South Africa, Burundi officially holds the ICC as a ‘Western tool to target African governments’. This allegation of institutional political bias is not a new one but has gained ground in recent times with nine out of ten situations being currently investigated by the office of the prosecutor being in Africa (Mali, Cote D’ Ivoire, Central African Republic, Libya, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo). Georgia is the only country outside Africa facing such an investigation. The ICC’s inability to try heads of state of any of the P5 countries or even launch preliminary investigations against them for acts of impunity has bolstered the notion of substantial unfairness and geopolitical prejudice in the†¦show more content†¦Since 1994, The Gambia has been under the rule of President Yahya Jammeh, who exercises full control over the military and those critical of government policies have been at the receiving end of state excesses. With its questionable human rights track record, including the crackdown on political opponents, The Gambia sooner than later faced the prospect of emerging as a contender for an ICC investigation (Joseph, 2016). While efforts have been made to portray the withdrawal of South Africa, Burundi and The Gambia from the ICC as a response to ingrained geopolitical prejudice against the African continent, a closer examination reveals that domestic considerations, including the possibility of imminent prosecution, play a key role in ICC pull-outs. The African continent is not a monolithic entity with many different nations appreciating the role of the ICC as a defender and a safeguard in the fight against impunity. Also, closer coordination with the ICC is viewed as a desirable value to be pursued. However, the perception of a bias against Africa is a strong one with robust justifications as well and the ball is in the ICC’s court to weed out any trace of geo-institutional prejudice which would be fatal in the struggle against global impunity (Miyandazi et al 2016). RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The international criminal court needs to show that it is open and impartial in its role in the fight against impunity in the world not only in